The two palace people were taken aback by Su Li's serious expression, and shook their heads one after another, they just listened to the order to clean up, and they didn't know who the palace maid was.

Su Li twisted her eyebrows, asked Yue Yan to take a good look at Lu Zhan, and went to find the steward in charge of the women's dependents area by herself.

The steward's attitude towards Su Li was very polite, and when he heard that Su Li was looking for a palace maid, he hurriedly instructed others to ask, and after a while, he asked out, saying that the palace maid was not lightly injured and went back to Xishang Palace to rest.

Hasn't Xishang Palace always been in charge of the diet of each palace? Isn't there something wrong with your diet?

Afterwards, the steward broke out in a cold sweat on his back, and called four or five palace people and Su Li to look for him together.

Su Li left here, Yue Yan was about to ask Lu Zhan to go to the men's area to find Chu Huai'an to talk about the situation here, Lin Yueshuang stepped forward and talked to Yue Yan: "County Lord, I am not familiar with other people when I first arrived in Beijing, can I talk to the County Lord?" ”

Lin Yueshuang's eyes were very sincere, but Yue Yan frowned: "Aren't those young ladies very good with you?" ”

"They just see that I come from the countryside and have never seen the world, and they want me to be the first bird to offend the county lord, my father has just arrived in Beijing, and I have been busy these days, I don't dare to make trouble for him anymore, I have to maintain a superficial peace with these people, and the actual relationship with them is not what the county lord has just seen."

Lin Yueshuang confessed her situation, and her face also showed a trace of embarrassment, as if once Yue Yan rejected her, she would get into a lot of trouble.

"Okay."

Yue Yan was kind-hearted in the end, and allowed Lin Yueshuang to go with him, and then bowed his head and said to Lu Zhan: "Ah Zhan, you ask the palace people to take you to the Hou Ye, tell him that his aunt has found the trace of the elder, and let him find a way to bring someone to answer his aunt, okay?" ”

"Daddy is better than him, why don't you find Daddy?"

Lu Zhan was a little dissatisfied, Aunt Su was looking for her father when she had something to do, why did she have to ask someone else for help after becoming an aunt?

"Daddy has other things to do, go to Master Hou to help my aunt as soon as possible."

"In Daddy's heart, isn't there anything else important to my aunt?" Lu Zhan asked puzzled, he always thought that Aunt Su and him were the most important in his father's heart.

He was still young, and Yue Yan didn't know how to explain to him in order to explain the relationship.

"Little master, your aunt would prefer to see Master Hou help her."

Lin Yueshuang opened her mouth to speak, Lu Zhan glanced at her, her black and white eyes flashed for a moment of injury, but she quickly disappeared, turned around and ran towards a palace person, the palace person bent down and listened to him say a few words and respectfully took him to the men's area.

"The girl knows what the relationship between Ah Li and Hou Ye is?"

Yue Yan asked strangely, didn't she just say that she was not familiar with anything when she first arrived in the capital? How would he know that Su Li wanted Chu Huai'an to help more?

Lin Yueshuang shook her head: "It's just that I heard that the Hou Ye and the county lord are getting closer these days, so I guessed it in vain." ”

Just guessed so accurately? That mind is also very exquisite.

Yue Yan subconsciously thought, Lin Yueshuang quickly changed the topic, seeing that although Yue Yan was dressed beautifully, there were not many ornaments on his body, and Bai Ying's earlobes were not wearing anything, so he couldn't help but speak: "The county lord's ears are very good-looking, why don't you wear earrings?" ”

Yue Yan touched her ears, she was used to staying at the border, and she didn't like to pay attention to this on weekdays, but she was a little embarrassed to be asked by Lin Yueshuang.

Lin Yueshuang was very understanding, and took out a pair of pale yellow earrings from her arms, the shape of the earrings was very familiar, Yue Yan recognized it after looking at it for a while: "It's forsythia?" ”

"The county lord really has good eyesight, this is what I accidentally saw before, I thought it was very novel and bought it back, but I can't wear such a light and refined feeling, today I have the fate to see the county lord, I always feel that it is a perfect match with the county lord, if the county lord does not dislike it, but want to try this?"

Forsythia is used as medicine, which can clear away heat and detoxify.

Yue Yan had never seen such earrings, and when she first saw it, she only felt novel, and the more she looked at it, the more she liked it.

Although she is not like some medical idiots in folk gossip who can't walk when they see medicine, she also likes this kind of thing very much, and Lin Yueshuang is very enthusiastic, Yue Yan did not refuse in the end.

Lin Yueshuang helped her put on earrings, and there was no mirror, so the two walked to the edge of Huaqing Pool to see the reflection in the water.

"The county lord has white skin and a slender neck, and wearing this is just outstanding, and his temperament is outstanding." Lin Yueshuang praised, not exaggerating, Yue Yan was already good-looking, fair skin, and these pale yellow earrings were skin-picking, and when they were worn on her ears, they became more and more lined with peach blossoms, delicate and cute.

Yue Yan liked it herself, but she was embarrassed to accept her things for nothing: "How much did you buy this?" I'll give you the money. ”

"The county lord likes to wear it." Lin Yueshuang said generously, seeing that Yue Yan didn't want to accept it like this, she added: "Actually, after my father entered Beijing, because of too much pressure, he didn't sleep a little, and I wanted to ask the county lord to prescribe a peaceful sleep recipe for my father." ”

This kind of prescription is usually prescribed by doctors, and it is not necessary to find Yue Yan, but I just want to make a friend through this.

The people at the border pass are straightforward, and Yue Yan didn't think she was disgusting for a while, so he went down the steps: "Okay, I'll write it to you in a while." ”

Other guests came one after another, and some of them recognized Yue Yan's identity, and they all came up to say hello, and when they saw Lin Yueshuang and Yue Yan sitting together, they all praised politely by the way.

Yue Yan doesn't like this kind of communication very much, almost all of them are Lin Yueshuang helping her socialize, Yue Yan has a good impression of Lin Yueshuang because of this, this person can't find anything wrong with what he says and does.

But...... It's still not as good as a pear.

As soon as this thought came up, Yue Yan was subconsciously shocked, how could she compare Lin Yueshuang and Ah Li together for no reason?

The guests soon came almost the same, there were more women, and the chatter in the imperial garden became noisy, the queen mother did not come out as a birthday star, and Chu Lingzhao did not stand up, so there was no one to preside over the overall situation for a while.

Yue Yan was a little irritated by the noise, and was about to find a quiet corner to rest, when Su Li came back under the guidance of the palace people.

Yue Yan immediately greeted him: "How?" ”

Su Li only shook her head, it was not good to say anything in front of so many people, her eyes swept away, and she saw that Yue Yan was wearing earrings rarely, and her expression relaxed: "Sister, these earrings are very good-looking, why didn't I find them?" ”

"It was sent to me by the girl from the Lin family, and she wanted me to write a soothing prescription for her father."

Su Li had learned some fur from Yue Yan before, and she recognized that the style of the earrings was the same as that of Forsythia, and it was obvious that she wanted to give them to Yue Yan as she liked, and it must have taken a lot of effort.

Su Li unconsciously searched for Lin Yueshuang's figure in the crowd, and saw from a distance that she was talking to several women who looked like elders, and her low eyebrows were very obedient.

Inexplicably, Su Li felt that she was like a person like this now.

"Does Ah Li think there's something wrong with her?"

Yue Yan asked in a low voice, of course she believed in Su Li more than someone she had just met.

"No, my sister is now the lord of the county, and it is normal for someone to want to get acquainted with you, and my sister wants to stay in Beijing, and it is always good to make a few close friends in the boudoir."

Su Li is really thinking about Yue Yan, there is no one in the Yue family, and she doesn't know if she can come back, Su Li hopes that she will have someone else as a companion, and not always be alone.

"It's good that I have a pear."

Yue Yan smiled, Su Li followed suit, and finally didn't say anything about leaving.

What is already doomed, there is no need to say it and let everyone bother together.

The birthday banquet soon began in earnest, and the palace people guided the guests to the banquet hall and sat down in their respective seats according to their positions.

Although the male and female guests waited separately for the banquet, the seats were not separated, and the rank of the minister was used as the standard, and the female dependents sat behind them, and they could recognize each other's identities at a glance.

Su Li's position was behind Lu Xiao and Lu Ji, next to Lu Zhan, I don't know if it was deliberately arranged, and it was Kutar who sat opposite.

Lu Xiao and Lu Ji sat in front of her, blocking Su Li like two mountains, just in time for the gaze of the absolute face.

"Did you just find out?"

Lu Ji asked Su Li by helping Lu Zhan deliver refreshments, obviously having heard that Su Li had gone to find the steward.

"There is blood in the house, she can't change her skin in such a short time, and she has injuries on her body, which should be easy to find."

Su Li whispered, Lu Ji nodded, turned around and sat down, and glanced at a few guards in the corner of the banquet hall without a trace, signaling them to act at the opportunity.

The guests were smiling and laughing, not noticing that the atmosphere in the hall was a little subtly tense.

"Your Majesty, the Queen Mother, and the noble concubine have arrived!"

The palace people shouted loudly, the voice was sharp and quite harsh, and everyone immediately stopped what they were doing, got up one after another, and bowed: "Welcome Your Majesty, the Queen Mother, and the concubine!" ”

As far as the eye could see, the dragon robe embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon symbolizing nobility drew a noble and elegant arc in the air, slowly pacing in, and behind it, followed by a graceful purple cloud gauze skirt and a purple-gold phoenix feather robe.

Everyone vaguely remembers that ten years ago, the Queen Mother's 60th birthday was spent with the first emperor, that year, the Queen Mother's longevity robe and the first emperor were bright yellow, and the longevity robe was not only embroidered with a phoenix, but also a golden dragon, implying that the dragon and phoenix were auspicious, and it was the supreme grace of the entire Yuanzhao.

Compared with that year, this year's robe is really a lot more colorful.

Chu Lingzhao walked to the steps of the banquet hall and stopped, took the Queen Mother's hand from An Ruolan's hand, and pulled her up step by step.

He had already grown up, with broad palms and hot palms, like his father.

The Queen Mother was in a trance, on her birthday ten years ago, she was also dragged by her son to the first emperor.

At that time, she was beautiful, with a husband who respected each other like a guest, and a young and promising son.

Now, she has nothing.

For some reason, thinking of this, the Queen Mother suddenly resisted the position on the high platform.

She didn't want to sit on it, she wanted to go back to her dormitory, the emperor was no longer disciplined by her, what was the point of her wanting this false filial piety?

However, as soon as she retreated, her hand was grabbed tightly, Chu Lingzhao did not look back, his eyes looked firmly at the front and whispered: "Queen Mother, pay attention to the steps." ”

His tone was soft, as if he really cared about her, but he didn't give her the slightest retreat.

Finally walked to the top, Chu Lingzhao personally helped the Queen Mother to the seat and sat down, interpreting the image of a filial son to the fullest.

The Queen Mother was angry in her heart, and snorted coldly.

Hypocrisy.

Chu Lingzhao was not angry, he sat down, and the eunuch who was waiting on the side looked at his face with trepidation, after more than half a year of training, he could barely figure out his temperament, and immediately gave a look to the palace person who read it, and the palace person stepped forward with the holy decree and read the birthday words loudly.

This longevity word has to be copied every year since Chu Lingzhao remembered, to the first emperor, to the queen mother, and before to many princes and uncles, after so many years, there has been nothing new for a long time, it is nothing more than to say that the queen mother is virtuous and benevolent, and she is a model of the mother of the country, and I hope she will have a long life and so on.

Chu Lingzhao couldn't write such words this year, so the birthday words were ghostwritten by Chu Lingxi, his talent was very good, and he praised the Queen Mother as unprecedented and unprecedented.

After the palace people finished reading, all the ministers raised their glasses to congratulate.

After congratulating, everyone began to offer congratulatory gifts.

It stands to reason that Chu Lingzhao should be the first to give a gift, but the palace people directly skipped him and ordered someone to offer Chu Lingxi's congratulatory gift.

Chu Lingxi sent a white jade screen, the screen is carved from a whole piece of white jade, like this complete large area of white jade is very rare, the craftsman carved the screen into the shape of auspicious clouds according to the texture of the white jade, the meaning is excellent, but also very practical.

Everyone praised King Huaiyang for having a heart, and the Queen Mother barely had a smile on her face.

During this time, Chu Lingxi always went to see her and talked to her, and after staying alone for a long time, she felt that she had seen all the hot and cold of the world, and she was still happy when she was treated so coldly and warmly by others, so she let go of her guard.

"Hongli is better than your mother and concubine to the mourning family."

The Queen Mother praised in a deep voice, not only saying that Chu Lingxi was better to her than her biological mother, but also insinuating that Chu Lingzhao, who was supposed to be her own son, had done so many things, but she was not as good as Chu Lingxi.

Chu Lingzhao's face did not change, and he raised his glass to Chu Lingxi from afar: "The emperor's brother can bother to come here, I am very relieved." ”

What a relief? What do you have to comfort you about? Confine your own mother and let others do your filial piety for you, are you embarrassed to be an emperor?

The Queen Mother was annoyed, glared at Chu Lingzhao hatefully, and asked the palace people to reward Chu Lingxi.

Generally, birthday banquets are rewarded, and Chu Lingzhao didn't care about these rewards, and directly asked the palace people of the Internal Affairs Office to hand over the list for the Queen Mother to check herself.

The Queen Mother gave Chu Lingxi a piece of blue butterfly-shaped jade, the jade seemed to be able to shine on its own, this color was quite rare, and everyone couldn't help but be a little curious.

"Hongli has not yet married, this jade is the marriage of the mourning family, if you meet the girl you like in the future, you can give her this jade as a love object."

As soon as the Queen Mother's words came out, everyone was surprised, compared to the fact that the King of Huaiyang did not marry the princess, it should be a more important thing that His Majesty has not yet established the queen, why did the Queen Mother marry her companion to the King of Huaiyang? Shouldn't this kind of thing be left to the queen?

Everyone felt that the queen mother's gift was not very appropriate, Chu Lingzhao not only did not get angry, but persuaded Chu Lingxi: "The imperial brother has put a lot of thought into this congratulatory gift, and the imperial brother's intentions can afford to return the gift with this thing for the queen mother." ”

Since Chu Lingzhao had spoken, Chu Lingxi did not refuse, and generously accepted the jade: "Son-in-law thanks his mother for rewarding!" ”

Next is Chu Huai'an, the palace people read Chu Huai'an's name, and after waiting for a while, nothing was presented, everyone was shocked, the Queen Mother has been good to the Marquis of Xiaoyao all these years, why did the Hou Ye have convulsions again today?

The people below exchanged heads and talked about each other, and the queen mother's face gradually became difficult to see.

Since she was imprisoned by Chu Lingzhao, Chu Huai'an has not been to see her again, and there is no congratulatory gift presented at this time, and the Queen Mother knew that the matter of sending someone to assassinate Chu Huai'an and Lu Ji was revealed.

"Mother's birthday, where is the congratulatory gift?"

Chu Lingzhao opened his mouth to ask, Chu Huai'an poured himself a glass of wine, raised his glass, and then poured the wine on the floor tiles in front of the table: "The minister is still sitting here today, which is the best congratulatory gift for the Queen Mother!" ”

These words, a pun, he is alive, he did not unite with Lu Ji to seek power and usurp the throne, it is the best gift to the Queen Mother and Yuan Zhao!

The Queen Mother's face was pale, and she wanted to scold Chu Huai'an for being ridiculous, but she couldn't.

It was wrong for her to send someone to assassinate her at the beginning, but now if she breaks it and says it, her reputation as the mother of a country will be completely gone.

What will the courtiers think of her? How would the historian record her in the history books?

An's family is gone, and she can't ruin everything she has worked so hard to run for decades.

Thinking of this, the Queen Mother forced out a smile: "The mourning family has always regarded Jinzhi and Hongli as their own, and you can share the worries for Hongyi, which is naturally the best gift for the mourning family." ”

The Queen Mother said this very generously, and everyone complimented her again, but she faintly sensed that something was wrong in her heart.

His Majesty and the Marquis of Xiaoyao did not send congratulatory gifts to the Queen Mother this year, is there something wrong between these three?

Chu Huai'an was a Kutar in the future, and I don't know whether Kutar wanted to provoke the feelings of Chu Lingzhao and the Queen Mother, or deliberately embarrassed the Queen Mother, he took off the string of accessories from his neck and dedicated it to the Queen Mother.

Kutar stayed in Beijing for several months, and the court and the central government knew a lot more about the customs of the Hu people, and the ornament around the neck of the Hu man was a very important status symbol, and he dedicated this to the queen mother, which was to express the highest respect and friendliness of the Hu people.

However, the monarch of Yuanzhao Kingdom is Chu Lingzhao, what does he mean by dedicating this to the Queen Mother? Do you think the Queen Mother is more worthy of respect and submission than Chu Lingzhao??

The Queen Mother naturally did not expect that the Queen Mother would come to this out, the palace people carefully looked at Chu Lingzhao's face, and saw that he was not particularly angry, so they went to take the gift and present it to the Queen Mother, just presented the things, and the Queen Mother thanked the Queen Mother in fluent Yuanzhao Chinese for her help in the past few months, and finally expressed his apology, saying that it was because they did not succeed.

These words made the faces of these ministers look ugly, and the words of the Tatar were full of cordiality, and it was only clear that the Queen Mother was on the side of the Hu people.

Last year, a major event happened in Yuanzhao, and the people may not know much about it, but the ministers of the DPRK and China all know about it to some extent.

Xiaoyao Hou and the general of the town fell more than 100,000 troops to rush to the border pass, His Majesty had not been to the early court for a few days, and the queen mother presided over the government, at that time, the people in the court were panicked, and everyone faintly felt that Yuan Zhao had reached the point of life and death, and now that the matter has passed, what does it mean for Hu Tartar to jump out and say such a thing?

Those who are officials in the court are not fools, and they can figure out the twists and turns behind them with a slight turn in their brains, and the eyes of the Queen Mother can't help but change.

No wonder His Majesty and the Marquis Xiaoyao's attitude towards the Queen Mother is far worse than before, if the Empress Dowager really did something sorry for Yuanzhao, she really can't stand the filial piety of His Majesty and the Marquis Xiaoyao.

Everyone had their own thoughts, and the Queen Mother stared at Kutar with a tense face, eager to grit her teeth.

Good!

That's great!

Hu Ren is really a barbarian, and after he was defeated, he even had to put her together!

The Queen Mother was so angry that her hands trembled, Chu Lingzhao looked at Ku Taran calmly, and raised a glass to thank him for his gift on behalf of the Queen Mother.

Suddenly the goal was achieved, and he drank a jar of wine very proudly, smashed the jar of wine after drinking, and laughed loudly, as if he was laughing at the intrigue of the Yuanzhao royal family, but it was really vulnerable, and it seemed to be laughing at the peace disguised by these days.

Both he and Chu Lingzhao understood that this war was only a temporary stop, and in a few years, there would be a big battle of life and death.

After the Tartar, it was several important ministers in the court who presented gifts, and the gifts were decent, but some good meanings were artificially added.

The Queen Mother felt tired after looking at it for a while, rubbed her eyebrows, and was about to say leave, Chu Ling suddenly said: "Queen Mother, you haven't eaten longevity noodles yet." ”

Yes, even if the emperor's family is a longevity, this bowl of longevity noodles is indispensable.

The queen mother sat upright when she heard this, and the palace people shouted on the longevity noodles, and after a while, a palace maid held a mahogany tray, lowered her head and walked in quickly from outside the palace door, her steps were very broken, but she was very anxious, and after a while, she went to the front of the palace and held the tray high above her head.

In order to ensure the taste of longevity noodles, the imperial chef set up a stove in the side hall next to it to boil boiling water, just waiting for the palace people to summon it, so that it could be taken out immediately and sent to someone.

The noodles are hot, with chopped green onions floating on them, and it should be a soup simmered by a good black-bone chicken over low heat, and the aroma is tangy.

"I wish the Queen Mother a long and long life!"

The palace maid said softly, with a hint of timidity, Chu Lingzhao raised his hand to pick up the bowl of noodles, and the palace people next to him offered jade chopsticks.

The palace maid put down the tray and lowered her head cautiously, I don't know if there was a wind blowing into the hall or what, everyone smelled the aroma of the longevity noodles, and the fresh, smooth and strong noodles appeared in their minds.

That bowl of noodles must be delicious, right?

Everyone couldn't help but think, but Su Li raised her hand to cover her mouth and nose as soon as she smelled the fragrance, and at the same time helped Lu Zhan cover it.

"Don't smell it!"

Su Li reminded in a whisper, and Yu Guang caught a glimpse of the guards in the corner of the banquet hall chasing after the palace maid.

Su Li twisted her eyebrows and looked around, seeing that everyone's expressions seemed to be in a trance, she tentatively stood up, but the palace people next to her did not stop her.

"Ah Zhan stay here, I'll go back when I go."

After Su Li finished speaking, she quickly walked out of the main hall, she didn't need to judge the direction, the sound of fighting not far away had already guided her.

Su Li was a little anxious, lifted the hem of her skirt and chased after her, bypassing the two corridors, Gu Jiong was raising her sword and fighting with the palace maid who had just offered longevity noodles.

The palace maid is very skilled, holding a ribbon-like thing in her hand as a weapon, and she actually uses the effect of a long whip, and at this time, there is no flaw in her body, but a pair of eyes glowing with a cruel cold light, which forms a strong contrast with the cowardly appearance.

"Pretending to be a ghost, I want to see how many faces you have!"

Gu Zhi sneered mockingly, the offensive became more and more tricky, and a sword broke the face of the palace maid, and the palace maid did not show weakness, the silk ribbon in her hand flicked and pumped towards Gu Zhi's chest, and at the same time, a faint dust spread, Gu Zhi forcibly twisted his body in the air to dodge, and the palace maid's eyes were proud, thinking that Gu Zhi had been poisoned by the silk belt, but the next moment he froze.

The punctured spots on her face began to quickly fester, turning into carrion and falling.

"Are you a descendant of the Gu family?"

The palace maid roared in surprise, her tone was full of resentment, and Gu Zhi held the sword expressionlessly: "You are really afraid of the things that are mixed with old vinegar and lime water." ”

"Hehehe!"

There was a gurgling sound in the palace maid's throat, and her body was rattling as if the bones were recombining, and then Su Li saw her tear off the half-rotten face, revealing the face hidden underneath.

Qi Niang!

Su Li called out in her heart, and then a dense tingling pain spread over it.

That's not Qi Niang, that's just Qi Niang's face.

This person has arranged the back road really well, if she goes out of the palace smoothly today, she will go to the county lord's mansion as Qi Niang to ask for take-in, and wait for the limelight to pass before leaving.

How did she know about Qi Niang's relationship with herself?

Was she targeted when she was in Longxi County, or was she too ostentatious to recognize Eleven on the street that day, so she killed Qi Niang's life?

The hand hanging by his side clenched into a fist, Su Li slowly pulled off the pearl hairpin on his head and wanted to rush over to kill the man, but his wrist was suddenly buckled, and the hairpin was inserted back in.

"Didn't I say I would help you?"

Chu Huai'an's voice came from behind, and before Su Li could turn around, he had already drawn out his soft sword and rushed over.

I haven't seen him use force for a long time, but today I suddenly found that his every move and style is not inferior to Gu Jiong's ruthlessness, and he strives to make a deadly move!

Chu Huai'an and Gu Zhi joined forces, and the man quickly fell behind, and was hit by several swords on his body, and after a while, the ribbon in his hand was also twisted into pieces by Gu Jiong.

Seeing that the enemy could not be defeated, the man turned around and wanted to escape, but was pierced by Chu Huai'an's sword and fixed on the wall, and Chu Huai'an twisted the hilt of the sword without hesitation.

"Hehe, worry-free......"

The man only had time to say these two words, Gu Ji stepped forward to make up a sword, and neatly cut off the man's head.

The jet-black blood immediately gushed out, not like the smell of normal people's blood, but emitted a strong stench, like a corpse that had been exposed to the sun for several days in the hot summer.

Chu Huai'an covered his lips and nose and took a few steps back, with a look of disgust, and was about to turn around and ask Su Li what he wanted to do with this corpse, when the mournful chant of the palace people came: "The Queen Mother was killed and died!" The Queen Mother was killed and died! ”

Su Li looked at Chu Huai'an in astonishment.

Even they could see that the palace maid was pretending to be an elder, and there was obviously something wrong, couldn't Chu Lingzhao see it? He...... Did you deliberately give the Queen Mother that bowl of longevity noodles?

Yuanzhao Guoxue has been in the summer of the year, the Queen Mother's 70th birthday was assassinated and killed by the remnants of the Anjia traitorous party, the whole country mourns, His Majesty issued an imperial decree, Yuanzhao Kingdom shall not be married within three years, violator: behead!